Social networks, or social utilities that enable connections between users (including people, businesses, and other entities) have become prevalent in recent years. In particular, social network systems allow users to communicate information very efficiently. For example, a user may post contact information, background information, job information, hobbies, and/or other user-specific data to a location associated with the user on a social network system. Other users can then review the posted data by browsing user profiles or searching for profiles including specific data. Users may also post messages directly on user profiles and send messages to a private inbox. The social network systems also allow users to associate themselves with other users, thus creating a web of connections among the users of the social network system.
Searching for users of a social network system, or more generally for information regarding an individual or other entity, typically involves composing a search query including forenames and surnames and submitting it to a search system. Often, however, users adopt nicknames as user names, which can be problematic for user searches when a searching user only has forename and surname information. Alternatively, some searchers encounter the opposite problem, failing to find a user by a common nickname because the account is under the full forename. In addition, nicknames that a given individual chooses to adopt may change over time, presenting similar problems even when a searching user remembers a nickname.